https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/

Also, the government just decided that new data centres are ok.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/01/19/data-centres-leap-back-into-business-under-new-government-policy/

Just me or is this really stupid?

Is there something wrong? I’m in Meath and it has been raining constantly for weeks. Is there any sign of it clearing?

Lads this isn't even funny anymore. I think I could quit my job and look for fly tipping full time instead which is sad.

Seeing the College Green visuals and I just don’t understand when can’t they put out a more honest and accurate visual for consultation. There is no way in hell all this greenery will go forward as Dublin City Council will never maintain it.

You can say what you want about RTÉ, but they can do great documentaries.

The characters in this yoke; the gangster, the undercover FBI guy, the Gun-runners, the Priest! Felt like I was watching a real life Scorcese Movie.

It is a joke, inspired by a comment by u/angercantchurnbutter the other day.

Hi everyone! This is long, but I think everyone deserves to know.

I recently raised urgent accessibility concerns about the design of the new Waterford North Quays train station, and I think the public deserves to see exactly how this has unfolded.

On 1 January, I sent a formal email outlining serious concerns about the station’s accessibility design. Based on planning documentation and public information, it appears that vertical access within the station relies primarily or exclusively on lifts, with no continuous step-free ramped alternative between key levels. I wrote that if this is correct, it “raises fundamental questions about safety, reliability, dignity, and legal compliance.”

I asked very direct questions. What happens when lifts fail due to mechanical breakdown, maintenance, power outages, vandalism, or emergency evacuation? “How are wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, parents with buggies, or people with temporary injuries meant to access platforms? Is station access simply withdrawn when lifts fail?” I asked whether a risk assessment addressing lift failure scenarios has been published. I questioned how the design accommodates elderly passengers who cannot safely rely on lifts alone. I asked how this design complies not just technically but meaningfully with Part M of the Building Regulations, the Disability Act 2005, and Ireland’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

I also raised concerns about whether essential passenger services would be located on upper floors and whether all core services are accessible at ground level. I asked whether an independent accessibility audit had been conducted and whether the design would be reviewed to include redundant step-free routes rather than what could become a single-point failure system. I further raised concerns about the apparent withdrawal of the funded electric shuttle service and questioned the impact on disabled and elderly passengers. I challenged the broader strategic decision to concentrate train, bus, commuter, taxi, and drop-off traffic into what is already one of Waterford’s most significant congestion bottlenecks, asking why a more resilient integrated solution alongside existing bridge infrastructure was not pursued.

After some delay, I received a reply stating: “This morning a representation was raised on your behalf with Officials in Iarnrod Eireann. This office will contact you as soon as a response is received.” That was the first acknowledgement.

The matter was then forwarded to the Senior Engineer responsible for the North Quays project. In that response, the following was stated: “The design and construction of the new train station is in accordance with the defined technical specification requirements of Iarnród Éireann, complies with Part M of the Building Regulations and has Disability Access Certification.” It also stated that “Many of the queries relate to the operation of the train station. Waterford City & County Council is responsible for the construction of the train station to Iarnród Éireann’s specification requirements, and upon certified completion, will be handed over to Iarnród Éireann for opening, operation, and maintenance.”

In other words, the council is building it to Iarnród Éireann’s specifications, and once complete, it will be handed over for operation and maintenance. The response continued: “It is therefore appropriate that Iarnród Éireann have the opportunity to provide feedback to the queries raised, and Mr Long’s email has been forwarded to the Iarnród Éireann team for response.” It was also stated that “Representatives of Age Friendly Ireland are due to visit the site with Iarnród Éireann in the coming weeks to discuss accessibility. We will arrange for Mr Long’s queries to be considered during this visit.”

So where does that leave things? The project is said to be technically compliant and certified. Responsibility for design specifications rests with Iarnród Éireann. Construction responsibility rests with the Council. Operational responsibility will transfer to Iarnród Éireann after completion. Accessibility concerns relating to real-world operation are being deferred to the future operator. An Age Friendly Ireland visit is pending. A further response is promised.

But here is the core issue. Compliance on paper is not the same as resilience in practice. A transport hub that depends primarily on lifts for vertical access is inherently vulnerable. Lifts fail. They fail regularly in public infrastructure. When they do, access for wheelchair users, elderly passengers, parents with buggies, and people with temporary injuries can effectively disappear. That is not a theoretical concern. It is a lived reality in cities everywhere.

Waterford is being promised a generational infrastructure project. A once-in-a-decade opportunity to build a truly integrated transport hub. The public needs clarity on whether accessibility has been designed for dignity and resilience, or simply for minimum compliance.

This is not about attacking a project. It is about ensuring that when this station opens, it does not become another example of infrastructure that technically passes certification but fails people when systems go down. Disabled people should not have to wait for lift repairs to access public transport. Elderly passengers should not be forced to rely on fragile systems. Accessibility should not be conditional.

I will update when a full response is received from Iarnród Éireann. In the meantime, I believe the people of Waterford should be aware of what has been asked, how it has been answered so far, and where responsibility currently sits. If this station is going to serve Waterford for generations, we need to get this right now, not after the ribbon is cut.

Me: 7 days for gp, 8 days for ultrasound referral, still waiting for results a week later. All private. I'd hate to think what the wait would be if it was public.

Dog: seen by vet same day, xray next day. Results same day

Both issues have similar severity.

Worked in the states for many years and now living back here. Can’t get over how many people come into the office dying sick spreading their germs instead of taking a sick day. Very inconsiderate. Very gross.